June 14. 2003

UF expands its tolerance rule to protect gays

By CARRIE MILLER

Sun staff writer

The University of Florida board of trustees added the phrase "sexual orientation" to its anti-discrimination rules on Friday but, in the face of strenuous objections from one board member, did not address the issue of providing employee benefits to same-sex couples.

Trustee Al Warrington IV, for whom UF's College of Business is named, said he supported expanding the anti-discrimination rules of the university but said, "That's where I think we should draw the line."

In an interview after the board meeting, he said that if the university were to begin offering employment benefits to partners of same-sex couples, "you begin blessing that type of orientation."

"I wouldn't be in favor of doing anything that would serve to expand that orientation," added Warrington, a 1958 accounting alum who has since donated at least $5 million to the College of Business Administration.

"Everyone has their own moral, ethical and religious views," he said, "but I think the Bible is very clear on that issue."

Sexual orientation joins "race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations and veterans status" in the UF anti-discrimination rules.

UF is one of the last of 62 members in the Association of American Universities to make the change.

Upon Warrington's request, the trustees' finance and administration subcommittee dropped a request to approve "in principle" the idea of extending employment benefits to domestic partners - a common practice among research universities and Fortune 500 companies.

UF President Charles Young said after the meeting that he will instruct staff to continue working on a proposal for domestic partner benefits for the 12-member board to consider at a future meeting.

Young, who said he polled the trustees on the issue in the days leading up to the meeting, said only Warrington had objected to it.

"It was not a battle to fight today," Young said. "But if you take a look at the other universities around the country, more and more are adding these benefits and practically all the corporations in America do."

Jeanna Mastrodicasa, associate director of UF's honors program and a longtime advocate for expanding the university's anti-discrimination clause to include sexual orientation, said Friday she's thrilled that part of the proposal passed.

"I'll take victory No. 1 today," she said. "This is such a huge step for the University of Florida, and it has taken so long."

Asked about Warrington's comments, Mastrodicasa said she hopes he will change his mind once he sees the detailed proposal UF is preparing.

"He's a businessman, isn't he?" she said. "I think Mr. Warrington will realize his view is a very small minority and the vast majority of the business world has moved well beyond this issue."

"We're just a little behind," Mastrodicasa said.

Also at Friday's meeting, UF's board of trustees approved tuition increases for the fall ranging from 8.5 percent for undergraduates from Florida, to a 16-plus percent increase for many out-of-state, graduate and professional students.

The average UF undergraduate, who takes 30 credit hours per year, will see tuition rise from $1,754 to $1,902 - not counting fees and other related costs.

Carrie Miller can be reached at millerc@gvillesun.com or 338-3103.